text:
Ya'll hear that pin drop?
Ya'll hear that pin drop?
You think you got what it takes to play a real fantasy game? Join me at Jockstocks. You can play Baseball, Basketball, Football, Golf, Nascar and even Hockey!
Jockstocks Homepage
Do you have your shirt on? - Adam Dunn to Marty on the Bananna Phone.
Cozart strikes out looking.
Votto fouls out to 3rd.
Rolen fouls out to 1st. 1-0 Dodgers after 4.
Votto popped up!! I haven't seen him do that all year.
Joe Blanton. C'mon boys.
This place use to be fun
Shoulda left Valdez as a starter!
If evolution is outlawed, only outlaws will evolve!
Rivera strikes out swinging. 3 Ks for Arroyo.
A. Ellis lines out to left. 2 outs.
Blanton strikes out looking. 4 Ks. 1-0 Dodgers mid 5th.
Teams are rushing through this game. Half way done in an hour.
Phils lead 4-1 over the Braves. Nats lead 2-1 over the Brewers.
These games could have significance for the Reds, although I can't figure out exactly how.
I guess if you really fear the Cards, you want the Brewers to beat the Nats and you want the Phils to win. If you want the Reds to play the Giants in the playoffs, you want the Nats to win. Whatever.
Last edited by Kc61; 09-21-2012 at 08:19 PM.
Bruce strikes out swinging. 4 Ks for Blanton
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When you can't go barefoot, you'll need shoes, sandals, runnning shoes or sneakers. Lauren Jones Footwear is known as the best place for the biggest selection of the hottest new styles in men's and women's shoes of all types.
Lauren Jones Footwear carries all the latest running shoes, basketball shoes and sneakers from Adidas, Nike, Puma, New Balance, Under armour and many more. Find amazing prices on men's and womens shoes now at Lauren Jones Footwear!About Us | Customer Service | Privacy Policy | F . A . Q

subset: commoncrawl


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If you work for a bank / cellular service provider, please copy and paste this post into a mail and allstaff it. It's cheaper than paying some market research company to do it, and it's also more honest. Here are some observations, insights and recommendations:
If you call me from a private number, I assume you are cold-calling me from some cellular service provider / bank, which is the communication equivalent to being woken up in the middle of a night by a naked bald guy jerking off over my face.
Unfortunately, repeat offenders have forced me to put some drastic measures in place, which include stating very clearly on my voicemail that if you are calling from a private number, I WILL NOT answer, unless you send me an SMS telling me who you are, and why you are calling, and give me a number on which to return your call. This is not open to negotiation.
This applies not only to private numbers, or 'blocked' numbers, as they appear on the iPhone, but also goes for any number that I do not have in my address book and hence do not recognize via Caller Line ID. Why so tense, you might ask?
Because if you are not one of my nearest and dearest, I do not want to speak to you. If you are going to try and get me to buy something, I do not want to speak to you. If I want to buy something you have, I will find you – don't you worry. If you exist in the peripheries of my life ie. you are my bank consultant, the dude from my gym who wants to check if I'm still taking part in the triathlon or the chick from the spa who wants to confirm my massage this weekend, you have TWO options when it comes to contacting me: email me, or SMS me. I will reply. I will be nice, courteous and pleasant to deal with. We can still have a meaningful, productive relationship – just not over the phone.
(Whomever the retarded person was who phoned me SEVEN times from a private number yesterday, what is going through your brain? Which part of my voice message do you not understand? Why do you think phoning me again will make me answer? Do you not read 2oceansvibe?)
Lastly, but not leastly, do not EVER send me a Please Call Me. The last friend who sent me a Please Call Me is no longer a friend. So why on earth, bank-who-shall-not-be-named (you know who you are) do you think sending me a Please Call Me is going to convince me that you have any kind of understanding of me as a consumer or my needs? Getting a Please Call Me from a bank takes cellular rape to a whole new level. There really was nothing left to do but, well, call the number on my screen. Of course, I didn't know the Please Call Me was from a bank until I called.
I'm feeling benevolent, so I'm not posting the name of the bank here, but if you're shopping around for a new bank and would like to know who NOT to go with, drop me a mail and I'll gladly tell you.


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Shining Light Ministries missions purpose is to equip the believers for the work of ministry and to reach the lost with the saving message of Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 4:12) Our goals:
1. We produce missions-focused television programs with the Gospel message to teach God's truth on various aspects of victorious living including: faith based on the Word of God, godly character and leadership, marriage and family issues, divine healing, goals and hard work, success and prosperity, knowing God, and growing in our new life in Him.
2. We are actively involved in evangelism, discipleship, leadership training, theological and marriage seminars, and we engage in relief work with refugees, widows, and orphaned children by providing them with much needed humanitarian aid.
3. We regularly preach to churches, businesses, and women's and other groups of interested people. In addition to producing CDs and DVDs, we also publish missions news reports, books, as well as daily devotional messages on our website.


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New Zealand Post wishes to further advise the designated operators of UPU member countries that, owing to the interception of a suspicious item, its Auckland office of exchange was evacuated for a number of hours on the morning of Tuesday, 10 October.
Operations have since resumed, but at reduced capacity for the remainder of the day with normal operations expected to re-commence on Wednesday, 11 October.
Outbound processing of mail items has been impacted; therefore, dispatches pre-advised in PREDES messaging may take an additional day to arrive, compared with scheduled arrivals. New Zealand Post will work closely with its airline partners to expedite dispatch and reduce any delays.
Inbound processing of items may also see some disruption; however, New Zealand Post expects normal operations to re-commence as of Wednesday, 11 October.
New Zealand Post wishes to thank all designated operators for their understanding.


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Cakespy: Carrot Cake Truffles Recipe
Quirky, cute, sometimes controversial, always delicious recipes from Jessie Oleson.
Jessie Oleson (aka Cakespy) drops by every Monday to share a delicious dessert recipe. —The Mgmt.
How do you capture the Easter Bunny?
Not with carrots, that's for sure: way too healthy, and if there's one life lesson that holds true, it's that you catch more flies with honey.
That is to say, try your luck with these little nuggets of delight known as Carrot Cake Truffles. Comprised of dense carrot cake mixed with cream cheese to form a decadent filling, a coating of high-quality white chocolate adds a sweet finish, making for a hoppy, er, happy eating experience. Even if you don't capture the Easter Bunny, your happiness is pretty much guaranteed.
- Yield:48 truffles
- Active time: 30 minutes
- Total time:2 hours
- Rated:
- 1 9x13-inch (or 2 8x8-inch layers) carrot cake, unfrosted
- 1 1/2 cups cream cheese frosting
- 2 pounds (32 ounces) white chocolate candy coating, or 4 cups white chocolate chips
- Sprinkles, writing icing, or marzipan, to garnish
Once your pre-baked carrot cake is at room temperature after baking, crumble the entire cake into a large mixing bowl. You should not see any large pieces of cake in the bowl.
Add about 1 cup of the frosting to the bowl, and mix well with the crumbled cake, using the back of a metal spoon, until thoroughly combined. If the mixture is easy to handle and form into balls, you do not need to add the rest of the frosting; however, if it is still somewhat crumbly, add the rest and mix until incorporated.
Roll the mixture into about 48 1 1/2 inch balls, and chill in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
Line two baking sheets with waxed paper; set to the side.
Using a double boiler, melt half of your candy coating over low heat, stirring occasionally, until it is smooth and completely melted. Note: You want to melt only half of the mixture at one time, because if you melt it all at once, the mixture may begin to harden before you've dipped all of your truffles.
Take a few of the balls out of the freezer at a time to dip. Place one ball at a time into the candy coating, using a spoon to coat any uncovered areas. Life the coated truffle out of the candy mixture with a spoon, and place it on your prepared sheet of waxed paper to set.
Repeat with the second half of your candy coating and the remainder of your truffles (or cover up the uncoated truffles and freeze until desired, up to a week).
If desired, garnish with sprinkles, gel writing icing, or Easter candy on top.
Let the coating set for about an hour before serving.
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


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Sarah Richardson is a model citizen of Las Cruces, N.M. She's a beauty queen, she volunteers in the community, and she may even want world peace. But she ended up disturbing the peace the other day when she allegedly got drunk and crashed her car into a light pole.
Like a runway strut gone wrong, pandemonium reigned supreme at the intersection where Miss Las Cruces made her entrance. When her PT Cruiser hit the light pole, it fell over and knocked down a traffic light. Cars got caught in the downed wires and hundreds of people were without power for hours. A few area hotels even had to reimburse customers for loss of service. It was a huge, huge mess.
But Richardson still put on her best beauty queen smile for the police mugshot camera. (Hat tip to I'm VeeArrrSix and you're not!)
Photo credit: KVIA 7


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PRG Post is a video post-production facility and production center based in Midtown Manhattan.
Our facility is home to ten large video editing rooms equipped with the latest Avid editing systems and 64 Terabytes of shared storage. The facility is rounded out with two video color-grading rooms and a 5.1 surround sound audio mixing room designed to properly finish any media project for television, web, or content produced for live events.
PRG Post also offers offsite equipment rentals and technical remote services, along with creative and technical production services. Whether you require fast turnaround video editing from a hotel suite or a trailer at any venue, live web streaming, color grading during rehearsals, video shooting on location, or full creative and production services, PRG Post's experienced staff will insure that any content production project is executed on time, on message, and on budget.
PRG Post-New York, New York
44 East 32nd Street, 10th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Phone: 212-589-5400
Fax: 212-589-5425
Get directions
|Hours of Operation:
Monday to Friday:
8:00 am – 6:00 pm
24/7 Access Available upon request


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Following on from my "girls, guys & home" guides to Boutiques Fair post last week – today's is all about the kids! From toys and decor, to clothes and books, there will be LOADS of vendors in attendance focussed on gorgeous kid's stuff. Mark the dates down in your calendar, get some friends together and make a day of it! Boutiques Fair Singapore is happening on 4th – 5th November.
Here are a few of my faves for kids below! :)
1. Sea Apple 2. Pom Pom & Puffin 3. Deer Industries 4. Madie Moo 5. Stylo Deco 6. Deer Industries 7. Madie Moo
1. Deer Industries 2. Deer Industries 3. Feroza 4. Deer Industries 5. Deer Industries 6. Sea Apple 7. Deer Industries


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Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Apple cider donut cake
Hi it's fall and this is a delicious cake that tastes like apple cider donuts. This is a good thing for a cake to taste like since I have yet to find a gluten free apple cider donut.
Apple Cider Donut Cake
From Serious Eats made gluten-free
One apple, peeled, cored, chopped up
1 1/2 c apple cider
1/2 c milk
2 1/2 c flour mix
1/2 t xanthan gum
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1 t salt
1/4 t nutmeg
8 T butter
3/4 c white sugar
1/2 c packed brown sugar
3 room temp eggs
1/4 c vegetable oil
1 t vanilla
6 T sugar
1 t ground cinnamon
1/8 t ground nutmeg
1/8 t salt
Preheat oven to 350 and grease a bundt pan (I have also successfully made this in an angel food cake pan). Combine cider and apple in a saucepan and cook until apple is mushy, then puree and measure out 1 cup. Set aside to cool. Combine flour mix, xanthan gum, baking powder and soda, salt and nutmeg and set aside. Beat butter and sugars and light and fluffy, then add eggs one at a time, then mix in oil and vanilla. Stir milk into cider mush. Add flour and cider mush alternately, starting and ending with the flour in three additions. Scrape into a pan, bake 45 minutes until a knife comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then flip out onto a plate and press cinnamon-sugar mixture into the sides.
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I want to...
Clear Search
The Engineering Division is responsible for the survey and preparation of, or the review and approval of, plans and specifications for the construction, reconstruction, and relocation of all roadways and bridges within the State Highway System. The division is also responsible for the placing of legal notices in newspapers concerning public meetings, public hearings, and location and design requests and approvals, as well as conducting the public meetings and public hearings for the location and design phases of projects.
The Division is organized into six sections: Consultant Review, Consultant Services, Technical Services, In-House Design, Environmental, and Administrative.
The Consultant Review Section is responsible for the review and approval of the design plans that are prepared and submitted by consultant firms.
The Consultant Services Section prepares advertisements for design projects, conducts scope of work meetings, negotiates fees and prepares legal agreements between the Department of Transportation and design consultants as well as other government agencies and private entities. We maintain design consultant qualification files. We publish "Procurement Procedures for Negotiated Contracts" as part of the rules and regulations for the Department. We also publish Consultant Confidential Qualification Questionnaire and Cost Accounting Statement forms. Technical Services Unit provides technical support to the Engineering Division. This includes preparing and maintaining up to date Design Directives, Drainage Manual, Standard Details, Erosion Control Manual, Pavement Design Manual, etc., in Metric versions as well as English. In addition, we do preliminary study reports for bridge replacement projects, hydraulic studies, and oversee all necessary environmental permit applications, as well as prepare PS&E's for all projects.
In-house Design Section is responsible for the survey and in-house preparation of plans and specifications for the construction, reconstruction, and relocation of all roadways and bridges within the State Highway System.
The Environmental Services Section prepares all environmental documents necessary for each highway project in order to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the Department of Transportation's Regulations Act and pertinent Executive Orders. Environmental Services also acts as liaison between various historical and resource government agencies and other divisions within the Department.
Raymond J. "R.J." Scites
Phone: 304-558-2885
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


text: Kristen Kelly, whose current single is "Ex-Old Man," will release a self-titled EP on Oct. 30 on Arista Nashville. The upbeat track is No. 30 on Billboard's country airplay chart this week. Kelly co-wrote the song with Paul Overstreet. She also co-wrote all four songs on the EP. "I am so excited to share more of my new music with my fans," she said. "This music is a culmination of years of blood, sweat and tears. Every song is a chapter in the story of my life."


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|Version 2 (modified by mikel, 13 years ago) (diff)
Enable Tabbing Between Text Fields
Users generally expect to be able to use the Tab key to move from one text field to the next in a dialog box. InterfaceBuilder enables you to specify the tabbing order in text fields.
- Choose "Layout" > "Keyboard Navigation" > "Show Keyboard Check". InterfaceBuilder displays a set of small icons that identify UI elements that can respond to key events.
- Select the "Exchange Rate" text field (the field, not the label) and then choose "Layout" > "Keyboard Navigation" > "Make Initial First Responder". A small "1" icon appears in the text field to show that when the application launches, that field receives keyboard events.
- Control-drag from the "Exchange Rate" field to the "Dollars" field. InterfaceBuilder shows the "Connections" Inspector, and, because Keyboard Check is enabled, automatically selects the "nextKeyView" outlet. Click the "Connect" button in the Inspector window to confirm.
- Repeat the previous steps to connect the "Dollars" field back to the "Exchange Rate" field. That way, tabbing moves the insertion point from the "Exchange Rate" field to the "Dollars" field, and then back to the "Exchange Rate" field. Control-drag from the "Dollars" field to the "Exchange Rate" field, then click "Connect" to confirm.
We don't enable tabbing into the "Amount" field because it's not an editable field; it's used only to show the result of a conversion.


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NETGEAR for
Access Point
The WN370 Wall Mount Access Point is designed specifically for in-room coverage for wired and wireless access for small and medium hotels and education dormitories. The WN370 has a sleek, elegant, and compact design that allows the AP to be deployed in an inconspicuous manner and can be installed quickly by non-technical personnel. The WN370 is powered with PoE with 1Gbps uplink and 4 (100 Mbps) Ethernet data ports, plus additional voice port for connectivity to digital phones. The WN370 is centrally managed by an enterprise class wireless controller with automatic RF and power tuning with guest captive portal and comprehensive wireless security.
The aesthetically pleasing design of the WN370 allows the access point to blend nicely in the hotel room and school dormitories. WN370 provides wired access directly to the users, where the traditional form factor Access Points are normally installed on the ceiling, away from the access of the users that need wired connectivity. The WN370 is installed with easy attachment to the junction box and appears with a nice decorative appearance.
The WN370 can be installed easily and less than 5 minutes. The WN370 ships with mounting brackets and fits into both US and EU standard electric junction boxes. Only 4 screws are needed to reliably install the WN370 to the wall with low protrusion. The WN370 is powered via Power over Ethernet on the 1 Gbps uplink. Simply connect a Ethernet cable between the WN370 and a PoE enabled switch and the WN370 is up and running. There is no separate power cord needed.
WN370 can be installed easily and does not need sophisticated skills of engineers. WN370s are generally deployed in room, especially effective in areas where deploying the access points in traditional locations (such as ceiling mounted or hallways of dormitories and hotels) are not feasible. Because the WN370 is designed to provide coverage in a specific room, where the RF containment is more well defined, no extensive site survey is required. Finally, because the WN370 comes with four Ethernet ports, users can plug in multiple wired devices without the requirement to pull additional cables from the access point to the wiring closet, thereby saving both time and money to meet the requirements of multiple Ethernet ports per room
The WN370 is centrally managed by Wireless Controllers. All of the configurations can be centrally configured and stored at the wireless controller. Once the WN370 is discovered by the wireless controller, it will receive the latest firmware and the updated configuration provided by the wireless controller. The wireless controller will automatically and dynamically adjust the RF frequency and the output power of the WN370 to ensure optimal frequency reuse and the best power setting to provide ubiquitous coverage of the intended location. Comprehensive site survey is generally not needed, thereby making the installation and wireless design of WN370 as simple as it gets.
Hardware modifications or customization void the warranty. The warranty is only valid for the original purchaser and cannot be transferred.
NETGEAR, the NETGEAR Logo, and ProSAFE are trademarks of NETGEAR, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Other brand names mentioned herein are for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective holder(s). Information is subject to change without notice. All rights reserved. © 2014 NETGEAR, Inc.
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Case Study - Best Western
Winning with Wireless in the Hospitality Market
Wireless Solutions Shaping the Future of Senior Housing Communities
Marketing Automation Platform


text:
By Jim Harrington
The age-old question in hip-hop goes something like this: "Do my ladies run this party?"
The answer provided at San Jose's HP Pavilion on Thursday night was a resounding yes.
The winter Wild Jam concert, put on by local radio station Wild 94.9 FM, was clearly built to please the ladies. The topnotch bill featured three definite sex symbols – sensitive singer-songwriter Bruno Mars, Lil Wayne protege Drake and controversial dancer extraordinaire Chris Brown – all of whom specialize in bedroom jams and romantic ballads. Continue Reading


text:
The University of Houston (UH) has invited best-selling author Gustavo Arellano, whose work includes the nationally syndicated column "¡Ask a Mexican!," to launch this year's Food for Thought Lecture Series at 5 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 15 at the Roy G. Cullen Building, Room 104. The event is free and open to the public.
Arellano will discuss his new book, "Taco, USA. How Mexican Food Conquered America," which details why the U.S. loves all things folded in a tortilla, when salsa overtook ketchup as the country's favorite condiment in the 1990s, nachos are the third-largest concession food after popcorn and soda, and the U.S. is the world's largest consumer of tequila. He addresses what constitutes "Mexican" food in the U.S.? What's "authentic" and what's "Taco Bell," and does it matter?
Arellano made his national reputation with the '¡Ask a Mexican!' column when he was perpetually amazed by local ignorance about Mexican culture and history. He invited reader submissions of questions about Mexico and started the column by making up the first question: "Dear Mexican: Why do Mexicans call white people gringos?" His response in jest was that "only gringos call gringos gringos." He said, "Mexicans preferred the derogatory term "gabachos."
"Arellano's work appeals to us because he brings his signature humor to questions of authenticity, skewering gatekeepers and reminding us of the centrality of Mexicanos to the preparation of American food and the interesting process of making American food Mexican," said Todd Romero, UH associate professor of history and co-director of the series. "He addresses the topics that animate our interests in studying food in wonderfully entertaining ways."
Arellano's '¡Ask a Mexican!' column has a circulation of more than two million in 38 markets. He has received the President's Award from the Los Angeles Press Club, an Impact Award from the National Hispanic Media Coalition, and a 2008 Latino Spirit Award from the California State legislature.
The Food for Thought Lecture Series is sponsored by the El Paso Lecture Series, UH Center for Public History, Center for Mexican American Studies and Latin American Studies. The series focuses on the scholarly study of food and encourages cross-disciplinary collaboration on the many ways that food shape business, economies, nutrition and health, the environment and social relations.
Best-selling Author and "Ask a Mexican!" Columnist Gustavo Arellano
Food for Thought Lecture Series
5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 15
A book signing will follow the event.
University of Houston
Roy G. Cullen Building, Room 104
Visitor parking at the Welcome Center and Parking Garage
Entrance 1 off Calhoun Road
|Free and open to the public. For more information, contact Todd Romero at email@example.com or Monica Perales at firstname.lastname@example.com


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Difference between revisions of "2011 Summer Project Week DICOM RT"
|Line 9:
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[[Image:wiki4.png|300px|Synthetic dose]]
[[Image:wiki4.png|300px|Synthetic dose]]
==Key Investigators==
==Key Investigators==
Revision as of 18:37, 21 June 2011Home < 2011 Summer Project Week DICOM RT
[Synthetic DICOM-RT sample data [1]]
Key Investigators
- MGH: Nadya Shusharina, Greg Sharp
- Kitware: Luis Ibanez
- Isomics: Steve Pieper
- Cosmo software: Drew Wassem
- A*STAR: Alexandre GOUAILLARD (in spirit)
Synthetic images, vector fields, RT structures and RT doses in Slicer and ITK
Figure out the best representation in ITK and Slicer4 for various RT and related datastructures.
We are designing synthetic DICOM-RT dataset which includes CT image, structure set and dose distribution. The following guidelines are used. We measured the noise power spectrum of a real CT image and constructed synthetic image with exactly the same spectrum. Then we included "skin" and one internal spherical structure. Synthetic contours were generated and recorded in labelmap format. Synthetic dose distribution was generated in mha format.
Approach, Plan
Currently synthetic DICOM-RT is loaded into Slicer 3.6.3 from file through Plastimatch extension DICOM/DICOM-RT Import. We plan to build Plastimatch command line module that will allow us to create synthetic image, structures and dose distribution interactively according to user's needs.
Delivery Mechanism
This work will be delivered to the NAMIC Kit as a
- NITRIC distribution
- Slicer Module
- Built-in: perhaps RT support can become part of MRML
- Extension -- commandline: Maybe, if needed
- Extension -- loadable: yes, for a custom interface


text:
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On the road prices are based on solid paint colours.
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Flexible finance available on Hire Purchase (HP) and Personal Contract Purchase (PCP)Explore Finance Calculator
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text:
Archive for December 11th, 2007
Exploring Causes of the Civil War – Part II – Antebellum America
In the last post, I kicked off a series looking at the causes of the American Civil War. Study of 19th century Antebellum America reveals a young country experiencing incredible change. Its rate of growth in almost all measures was unrivaled in the world. Its population was exploding through both immigration and birth rate. The push for land drove expansion of its boundaries to the south and west. Technological development enabled modernization and industrialization. The "American System of Manufactures" created the factory system.[i] People became "consumers" rather than "producers" of goods and this changed many social aspects of society.
The majority of Americans held a Calvinist belief structure. Puritan influence was strongest in New England. Immigration of large numbers of Catholic Irish created new cultural and ethnic tension. Irish Catholics tended to oppose reform and clustered in the lower classes of the North while native Yankee Protestants predominated in the upper and middle-classes.[ii] The century was marked by enthusiastic evangelical reformation movements. [Note: Jonathan D. Sassi has a concise description of the antebellum evangelical reformation movement in America here.]
A two-party political system had emerged by 1830. "Issues associated with modernizing developments in the first half of the century helped to define the ideological position of the two parties and the constituencies to which they appealed."[iii] Democrats inherited the Jeffersonian commitment to states' rights, limited government, traditional economic arrangements, and religious pluralism; Whigs inherited the Federalist belief in nationalism, a strong government, economic innovation, and cultural homogeneity under the auspices of established Protestant denominations.[iv]
The fight for democracy and the fight for morality became one and the same.[v] "The kingdom of heaven on earth was a part of the American political purpose. The Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the Scriptures were all in accord."[vi]
Distinct Northern and Southern cultures began to emerge early in the country's history. These differences became more marked as the pressures that accompanied the nation's incredible growth, territorial expansion and social change manifested themselves. Sectional identities and allegiances became increasingly important.
Next post – the Antebellum South.
Photo Above: Th. Jefferson, photomechanical print, created/published [between 1890 and 1940(?)]. Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Presidential File. Reproduction Number: LC-USZC4-2474. This print is a reproduction of the 1805 Rembrandt Peale painting of Thomas Jefferson held by the New-York Historical Society.
For further reading:
- Jonathan D. Sassi has a concise description of the antebellum evangelical reformation movement in America here.]
- I recommend Puritanism in New England written by Donna M. Campbell and accessible on the Washington State University site here.
- James M. McPherson's Ordeal by Fire: The Civil War and Reconstruction has an excellent review of Antebellum America.
© 2007 L. Rene Tyree
[i] Historian James. M. McPherson, Ordeal by Fire: The Civil War and Reconstruction. 3rd ed. (New York: McGraw Hill, 2001), 10, [ii] Ibid., 23, [iii] Ibid., 25, [iv] Ibid., [v] Ibid., 13, [vi] Ibid.


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Filed under: At the Center
"Ayikodans performances a triumph!" exclaimed the headline in the Miami Herald. "A weekend of shows to benefit the beleaguered Haitian dance troupe was a rousing success that exceeded organizers' hopes," said Herald dance critic Jordan Levin.
Intensely aware of the precarious position of many Haitian arts groups following the catastrophic 2010 earthquake, the Center committed to producing a fundraiser for the company—originally two performances, which grew to three due to the extraordinary demand for tickets—scheduled for May 21 & 22. The Center also commissioned a new work from the company, set to premiere in Miami in the spring of the 2011/12 Dance at the Arsht season.The goal was to help the company through its immediate challenges—and the Adrienne Arsht Center convened an outstanding group of community leaders committed to helping Aykodans develop long term tools for success so that they can continue to inspire pride in the strength, beauty and richness of Haitian culture.
"We have helped save a very important dance company from Haiti, whose future is brighter as a result of our efforts," said Adrienne Arsht Center President John Richard. "The results are stunning by any measuring stick—transformative, world class, community-based—a triple play on our mission chart."
Supporters of the modern dance group, which is led by Haitian choreographer Jeanguy Saintus, raised $117,000. An additional $141,874 in-kind support was secured from a dedicated committee of influential Miami leaders. Support included professional expertise, creative talent, products and other resources, much of which will benefit Ayikodans long into the future. A future that—with these efforts and the company's own bounty of artistic gifts—is now bright with promise.
"Judging by the power and quality of Ayikodans' Saturday night performance, Saintus' battle has already been an artistic triumph," continued Levin in her review. "The dancers were magnificent, exhibiting a mesmerizing combination of powerful technique, physicality and emotional intensity."
Filed under: At the Center
Amid the excitement of the approaching end of what has been a remarkable 5th Anniversary Season, the Adrienne Arsht Center hosted its first-ever State of the Arsht presentation earlier this month. The event was part of the Center Advancement team's series of 5th Anniversary signature events, which also included the season preview Insider's Look, the Bombay Sapphire Lounge Private Donor Opening, the 5th Anniversary Season Gala, and the recent Green Room Society Spring Fling.
Designed to showcase the Center's history and ambitious goals for the future, State of the Arsht was attended by business and civic leaders, diplomatic representatives, Board members, staff and some of Miami's most noted philanthropists. Suzanna Valdez, Vice-President of Advancement, welcomed the crowd, saying "Today's event is an opportunity for us to share with you some of the highlights of our first years in service to the Miami community." In the presentation by John Richard that followed, the Center's president and CEO said, "The Arsht Center's mission has evolved just as our community has matured. 'Entertain, Educate, Stimulate and Impact' – this is the staircase of our mission."
Indeed, the Center has come a long way since it opened its doors in the fall of 2006 by serving the community through its many and diverse arts education and outreach programs. For example, Learning Through the Arts thus far has invited 52,000 Miami-Dade fifth graders to come see a free live performance at no cost and will soon bring a new class of fifth graders to the Center this fall. Free Gospel Sundays brings nearly 2000 music lovers four times each year to the Knight Concert Hall for a free concert by the finest local gospel choirs and award-winning gospel stars from around the country.
All these accomplishment have come about with strong leadership and responsible fiscal management—the Center, in fact, has maintained a balanced budget for the last three years. In this regard, Carlos Garcia, partner at Goldstein Schecter Koch, stated "we believe in the Center and what it is doing for our city." Indeed, these accomplishments underscore strong private, corporate, and public support, for which the Center is grateful.
Filed under: Performing Arts News
Last year, the Adrienne Arsht Center and City Theatre co-presented the world premiere production of Camp Kappawanna, an original musical inspired by Lisa Loeb's Camp Lisa CD. The show played to happy family audiences that packed the theater for its two-week run and got rave reviews for its catchy music and loveable characters. This year, the hit musical—born and developed in the Center's Carnival Studio Theater—is back by popular demand and goes on the road to delight audiences up and down the South Florida coast! The Kravis Center in West Palm Beach, the Broward Center in Ft. Lauderdale, as well as the Adrienne Arsht Center, all play host to the musical theater treat that will satisfy families looking for something fun and entertaining to do this summer!
Camp Kappawanna celebrates timeless camp experiences with hip music penned by Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Lisa Loeb along with a book by Miami's own Marco Ramirez. From beginning to end, Camp Kappawanna makes audiences of all generations feel as if they, too, are joining in the fun of summer camp!
Filed under: AileyCamp, Volunteerism
This time of year brings a whole new wave of AileyCamp Miami participants to our doors, and it takes a significant amount of volunteer support to make sure that everything runs smoothly. April 30th was the kick-off date for AileyCamp Miami 2011. Auditions and interviews were conducted for potential campers. More than 400 candidates turned out for the chance to experience what has been called the finest dance training camp in the country.
This year, the Center's Volunteer Services team recruited its Youth Corps volunteers—who are under 18 years old—along with their volunteering parents, to make the Ailey Campers' first look at the Arsht Center welcoming. The energy of the youth corps was essential to the success of the day – the runners spent the entire day taking the younger campers to their interviews and auditions. The Center's volunteer youth corps is close in age to that of the Campers themselves, making them ideal Center ambassadors for this program.
At this event, three of the Center's volunteering families participated. 15-year-old Madisyn Fluitt volunteers with her grandmother Lilian and mother Edith; 15-year-old David Weiss often volunteers alongside his Dad, Shay; and 15-year-old Marniece Holmes was an Ailey Camper last year and now volunteers as much as possible for Ailey events with her mother Marniece Dixon.
Families who volunteer together is nothing new for the Center's volunteer program, which boasts multigenerational participation every week! Having a parent volunteer with a Youth Corps member strengthens the commitment for both to sign up for a variety of events, and creates a unique arts-related way for families to spend time together. Most of these young volunteers will continue working with AileyCamp over the summer, and the Center is fortunate that it can count on such bright and shining stars!
Filed under: About the Center, Volunteerism
The Adrienne Arsht Center offers internship opportunities for motivated, self-actuating young people in programming, marketing, production, operations and administration. So far, more than 55 students from around the country have participated in the Center's program.
None of these internships are dreary paper-pushing positions. "Interning at the Center is a real-life experience. We don't just simulate a workplace, we give you responsibilities and a body of work, and the expectations are pretty high," says Trish Brennan, Vice President of Human Resources. For a young performing arts center, internships are one of the best ways to connect with communities by literally investing in talented and capable youths.
At 17, Claudia Cereceda, from iPrep Academy, has been working at the Center as a front-of-house intern twice a week since November and is "involved in just about everything," reports Theater Manager Alice Fifelski. "She's not treated as a kid, but as an equal. She's one of us. She's given responsibility, and she can handle it."
The internship led Claudia to an evening in April when she served as house manager for one of the spring season's flagship shows, The Sparrow. A job description for house manager at the Adrienne Arsht Center can read like an adventure novel. House managers are at the front line of making the theatergoing experience as pleasurable and rewarding as possible for every patron who walks in the door. They are often asked to make split-minute decisions to resolve unforeseen issues involving ticketing, seating, accessibility, and visibility—you name it—right on the spot—before, during and sometimes after the show!
Claudia tells us what her experience as an intern has meant to her.
What have you learned?
"Being the front-of-house intern has taught me so much about what goes into putting on a show. I've learned that there's a lot that goes on behind the scenes that a regular audience member isn't always aware of…and it's quite a demanding job!
How has your time at the Center brought you closer to the community?
"One thing I admire about the Arsht Center is their commitment to community outreach programs. Events like the Free Family Fests are a great example of how the Center is working hard to spread culture into our community."
In a sentence, how would you summarize the experience?
"I've been truly blessed to be able to intern at the Adrienne Arsht Center because the people here are so caring and they've all helped to make this a great experience for me."


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Serena Williams blitzes her way to win
WORLD No. 3 Serena Williams took just 50 minutes to wrap up her first Brisbane International, overpowering Russia's Anastasia Pavluychenkova 6-2 6-1 on Saturday night.
Williams, who has won 16 matches straight and 35 from her last 36 after a shock exit in the first round of the French Open, said she was in career-best form.
"I don't know if I was in 'the' zone today (but) I was definitely heading in that direction," she said.
India's Sania Mirza and American Bethanie Mattek-Sands beat Anna-Lena Groenefeld of Germany and Czech Kveta Peschke 4-6, 6-4, 10-7 in the doubles final.


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Late inning unravels on Herd
If it wasn't for bad luck the Buffalo Bisons would have had no luck in today's 5-1 loss against the Toledo Mud Hens at Fifth Third Field.
Entering the eighth inning the game was tied at one apiece between the two ball clubs. Riding a strong start from Bisons pitcher Pat Misch the Herd looked to reliever Ryota Igarashi to keep the game knotted up at one.
Today wasn't Igarashi's lucky day as an unusual bounce off of catcher Michael Barrett and an error from second baseman Justin Turner led to four Toledo runs as they completed the sweep of the Herd.
With one out in the eighth, Mud Hens DH Jeff Frazier attempted to check his swing on a 1-2 pitch from Igarashi but was called out by home plate umpire Craig Barron. Frazier stood in the batter's box to argue the call but the pitch from Igarashi ricocheted off of Barrett's shin guards and rolled into the Bisons dugout. Because it tapped into the Herd's dugout, Frazier was awarded first without ever taking a step out of the box.
Following Frazier first baseman Ryan Strieby hit a sharp grounder to shortstop Ruben Tejada which could have resulted in a double play. A twin killing would have negated Frazier's reach on the dropped third strike and gotten the Herd out of the inning with no damage done. Turner unfortunately made an error trying to receive the toss from Tejada allowing everyone to reach base safely.
Center fielder Casper Wells then singled to center to score the go-ahead run in Frazier, giving the Mud Hens a 2-1 lead. Third baseman Max Leon hit a two RBI triple to right, giving the Mud Hens a 4-1 lead. They would add another run in the inning to make the final tally 5-1 in favor of Toledo.
The unlucky eighth inning for the Herd denied Misch his tenth win of the season. While getting the no-decision Misch went seven strong innings, giving up one run and six hits. Misch also struck out eight which is a new season high for the left hander.
The loss for the Herd is their sixth straight and they are one away from matching their longest losing streak of the season when they dropped seven in a row back in June. The Herd's record is now at .500 at 51-51. Buffalo is at the .500 mark for the first time since June 28th when they were 39-39 after a 13-12 loss to Charlotte.
BISONS NOTES: The Herd will look to end their losing streak when they start a four-game series with the Columbus Clippers tomorrow at 7:05 p.m. Bobby Livingston (3-8, 5.28 ERA) will try to end the losing skid by taking on a pitcher still to be named as slated starter Josh Tomlin was called up to the Indians.


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Family: Crews find body of missing Arkansas boy
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Searchers found the body of a 4-year-old boy Wednesday in a river at the northern Arkansas Boy Scout camp where he disappeared during the weekend, the boy's uncle said.
Chris Bruner said the body of his nephew, Caleb Linn, was recovered from the South Fork of the Spring River in the Ozark foothills.
Caleb went missing Saturday at a Boy Scout camp near Hardy, Ark. Searchers in boats and on horseback, foot and four-wheelers scoured the valley for days before finding two shirts he had been wearing in the river on Tuesday afternoon. His body was found less than 24 hours later, Bruner said.
"As long as we have each other, it's OK," Bruner said Wednesday.
Authorities narrowed their focus to the water late Tuesday and called off the ground search for Caleb. He had tagged along with his aunt and several other children to help clear storm debris from a bridge at the 900-acre Kia Kima Boy Scout Camp, which his aunt was looking after while the regular caretaker was away.
When five of the children left to go back to the cabin area around lunchtime, Caleb asked if he could follow. His aunt told him he could, but that he had to stick to the road, Fulton County Sheriff Buck Foley said. The last she saw of him before she turned around to resume her work, he said, was Caleb standing at the end of the bridge.
Hundreds of volunteers turned out to help in the search, and divers cleared debris and took underwater photographs beneath the bridge. Dry and unseasonably warm weather had lent hope to Caleb's chances of survival.
Caleb's parents, who have declined to be interviewed, had travelled from their home in Springdale, 150 miles west of Hardy, and were staying in one of the camp's cabins.


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Pope Benedict: Boldly Proclaim God's Love
Jesus came not to say what people wanted to hear, the Holy Father teaches, but, rather, 'to give testimony to the truth.'
VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday asked Christians to proclaim God's love with "boldness, humility and coherence" like Jesus.
"Let us ask the Lord to give each of us a spirit of courage and wisdom, so that in our words and actions, we may proclaim the saving truth of God's love with boldness, humility and coherence," said Pope Benedict in his remarks after the Sunday Angelus prayer.
"Jesus did not come to seek the consent of men, but to give testimony to the truth," Pope Benedict told the thousands of pilgrims gathered at St. Peter's Square Feb. 3.
"The true prophet does not obey anyone other than God and places himself at the service of truth, ready to pay in person," he added from the window of the Apostolic Palace.
He noted that "it is true that Jesus is the prophet of love, but love has its own truth."
He explained that love and truth are "two names for the same reality" and "two names of God."
The Holy Father added that the Sunday liturgy echoes the words of St. Paul.
"Love does not boast; it is not puffed up with pride; it is not disrespectful; it does not seek its own interests and does not get angry," said Pope Benedict.
"It does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice over wrongdoings, but rejoices with the truth," he said.
The Pope said that to believe in God is to "give up prejudices and accept the concrete face in which he has revealed himself, the man Jesus of Nazareth."
"This way also leads us to recognize him and serve him in others," he added.
He talked about the Sunday reading in which Jesus reads a passage of the Old Testament at a synagogue. Jesus said that "no prophet is accepted in his own country" and named two miracles performed by the prophets Elijah and Elisha.
Pope Benedict said Jesus' words "showed that sometimes there is more faith outside of Israel."
"At that point, the reaction was unanimous, as all rose to hunt him down and to try to throw him off a cliff, but he calmly passes through the angry people and leaves," said Pope Benedict.
"Why did Jesus want to cause this failure?" he asked.
"But this is precisely the point: Jesus did not come to seek the consent of men, but to give testimony to the truth."


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Georges St-Pierre manhandles Nick Diaz at UFC 158
MONTREAL - UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre manhandled Nick Diaz for five rounds en route to a lopsided unanimous decision at UFC 158 on Saturday night.
St-Pierre (24-2) pitched a shutout, winning 50-45 on all three judges' cards.
"Nick Diaz is a good guy," said the champion, looking to end the bad blood between the two.
Diaz, who said he was flat after a 13-month layoff, thanked St-Pierre "for giving him the credit I think I deserve."
Diaz came to the fight with a chip on his shoulder and plenty of attitude. He leaves with a loss and lumps on his face, although he showed the champion respect after the fight.
As expected, St-Pierre used his wrestling to control the chirpy challenger, rag-dolling him at times and bullying him on the ground. But he also used his jab and kicks to pick apart the challenger on his feet.
A calm, calculating St-Pierre won almost every battle during the fight without putting himself in harm's way. Diaz (27-8-0 with one no contest) never quit, but showed less of his trademark trash-talking. He had his hands full.
The main event had been rife with animosity, with Diaz showing St-Pierre little respect. The normally calm champion was red-hot coming into the fight, saying he wanted to "retire" Diaz.
He may have done it. Diaz said his fighting days may be over.
"I think I'm done with this mixed martial arts," he said.
In the lead up to the fight, Diaz skipped a public workout, then put on a strange one-man show at the pre-fight news conference that managed to befuddle and antagonize St-Pierre.
"I never took it personally," the champion said after the fight.
The antagonism continued right up to the fight with fellow fighter Jake Shields, a member of the Diaz entourage, complaining about St-Pierre's hand wraps.
"I checked GSP's glove and the wrap looked shady," Shields, beaten by GSP at UFC 129, tweeted before the fight.
UFC President Dana White said Shields had OK'd the wrap, only to have another member of Diaz's camp complain later.
The 31-year-old from Montreal was looking for his eighth straight successful title defense since winning his 170-pound championship back from Matt Serra at UFC 83 in April 2008. Only middleweight champion Anderson Silva has more title defenses (10).
The welterweight contenders' picture grew clearer earlier in the main card as Jonny Hendricks (15-1) won a unanimous 29-28 decision over Carlos Condit (28-7) in a wild co-main event that left both men blooded, and with the respect of their boss.
"These boys are holding nothing back," tweeted an appreciative White.
Hendricks, who said he broke his left hand in the fight, was promised a title shot if he won.
"Guess what, I earned it," said Hendricks.
And welterweight Jake Ellenberger knocked out former Strikeforce champion Nate Marquardt in the first round.
Diaz came out to a chorus of boos, one man against a champion backed by thousands in the stands. He calmly walked inside the cage, his four corner men urging him on.
Then the lights dimmed and St-Pierre followed, bouncing up and down in his traditional karate garb to pulsating French-language rap. The crowd erupted.
Diaz walked over to the cage and yelled something as St-Pierre prepared to enter. It didn't seem like a hello. Montreal referee Yves Lavigne then moved over to keep a close watch on the challenger.
The place was rocking before the cage doors closed.
St-Pierre's first takedown came seconds later. Diaz looked to work a submission, but the champion controlled him, firing punches as Diaz tried to get up. A pair of elbows produced a knot on the challenger's forehead.
The crowd started chanting "Ole! Ole!" St-Pierre responded by dropping Diaz on his head, capping a dominant first round.
St-Pierre landed another takedown 40 seconds into the second round and soon had Diaz on his knees face down again, hitting him with knees and punches. Diaz's face was showing damage.
Diaz tried to get in the champ's face as the round ended.
Diaz went down again in the third, after eating some punches. When Diaz got back up, he fired some leg kicks and scored with some jabs. Then St-Pierre dumped him, battering him on the ground.
Diaz flicked a punch after the bell at St-Pierre, whose face was bloodied.
Both men looked tired in the fourth, but St-Pierre scored another takedown and Diaz soon had the champion clamped to him again.
The two clinched in the fifth before Diaz fell attempting a kick. St-Pierre jumped on him and Diaz was again face down on the mat. The fight finished fittingly with St-Pierre on top and the crowd roaring.
The two shook hands, hugged and Diaz raised St-Pierre's hand.
The champion came into Saturday's fight on a 10-bout win streak. And needing just three rounds to erase Randy Couture's UFC record of 44 championship rounds fought.
It was St-Pierre's 13th championship fight, second only to the retired Couture (15).
Condit was initially due to face Rory MacDonald but the Montreal fighter had to pull out with a neck injury. That forced a reshuffle of the welterweight bouts with Hendricks moved to face Condit and Marquardt brought in to take on Ellenberger.
Ellenberger (29-6) made short work of Marquardt (35-12-2), knocking him down with a left-right and then hurting him with another. Marquardt did not seem to like the stoppage by Philippe Chartier, at 3:00, but he was dazed and vulnerable.


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Paxos to Brindisi Ferry
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Book a ferry from Paxos to Brindisi with AFerry.co.uk - Companies, Timetable, Offers and More!
See below for the Paxos to Brindisi timetable with all the ferries that go from Paxos to Brindisi. Click on the route to see arrival and departure times for your ferry. You can also see the latest cheap prices for Paxos to Brindisi ferries below. If you see an offer you like, just click the go button to book!
Finding a Cheap Paxos to Brindisi Ferry
AFerry.co.uk always has cheap prices for Paxos to Brindisi on this page but often you can also find cheaper ferries to the same country or places nearby by using our Compare Prices feature. If you aren't sure about what places are near where you want to go, you can visit the ferry port page.
It's also always worth checking out our special offers page where we list all the exclusive offers we get every week. Whatever ferry route you choose, you can rest assured that you got a great deal with AFerry.co.uk!


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Dome named to National Register of Historic Places
The endangered Astrodome was thrown a possible lifeline as the National Park Service named the world's first domed athletic stadium to its National Register of Historic Places.
The designation granted Thursday does not prevent Harris County from demolishing the building, but does open federal and state tax incentives for rehabilitation. The stadium, opened in 1965, long was called the "eighth wonder of the world."
"We'd say, 'hey great!' but it doesn't impede our ability as far as demolition goes," said Joe Stinebaker, spokesman for Harris County Judge Ed Emmett. "The Dome's status is in limbo. No decision to demolish it or rehabilitate it has been made."
In November, 53 percent of voters turned down a proposed $217 million bond issue to redevelop the Dome, which lost its major clients when the Houston Astros moved to Minute Maid Park and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo relocated to the nearby Reliant Stadium.
Beth Wiedower, the director of the Houston office for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, said private developers would be eligible for a 20 percent federal tax credit for investments made in the building. Developers also would get a break on state franchise taxes under a law passed in the 2013 Legislature.


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BERLIN – Success hinges on how well you manage your company's day-to-day cash flow. You need to know you have the cash for inventory, employee compensation and debt payments. And you also need a cushion of cash to get you through those slow periods. But that's just for starters. In today's competitive landscape, you need to know your cash is always working hard for your business. That means that your working capital should always be providing you with a decent return – without jeopardizing your principal.
One way to make your working capital work harder for you is by investing it. Your cash can be liquid and earn a yield, rather than sit idle on the sidelines. When you do invest your working capital, however, it's vital that you weigh the risks of yield versus the benefits of safety and liquidity.
"Safety is at a premium for corporate-cash investors," said Jacqueline Sullivan, Vice President of Merrill Lynch Commercial Lending & Investment in Boston. "It's a good idea to have an investment policy statement clearly outlining your objectives, what you will not invest in and who is authorized to make investment decisions."
"Safety of principal is our primary consideration when we recommend investment vehicles and strategies to our business clients," said Jana Land, Director of Merrill Lynch Commercial Lending & Investment in Alpharetta, Ga. "They are willing to forgo a higher yield for assurance that 100 percent of their principal will be available when they need it."
Not only should your cash be invested in higher-quality investments, but you should also be actively managing the maturity of those investments based on your cash flow needs.
"It's a laddered approach to investing," says Land. "We suggest that funds needed for the next month be kept in a money market fund providing daily liquidity. For money you won't need right away, we may recommend 7- to 35-day Auction Market Securities. These investments can help enhance interest income while making sure that enough funds are available for shorter-term capital requirements."
Consider also the direction of interest rates. In a falling-rate environment, a 3- to 12-month CD could help lock in an interest rate that may not be available in the near future.
Consult your financial advisor to review your investment options and consider your risk as a business owner before making investment decisions with your working capital.
(The writer is a Merrill Lynch Senior Financial Advisor. She can be reached at 410-213-9084.)


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IL extends recent All-Star dominance
Chiefs' Lambin keys sixth-inning rally, earns Top Star honors
By Josh Jackson / Special to MLB.com
ALLENTOWN, Pa. — It may have looked like a sleeper in the early going Wednesday, but the International League ended up continuing its recent dominance at the Triple-A All-Star Game.
Held hitless until the fifth inning, the IL got an RBI double from Chase Lambin and a run-scoring single from Elliot Johnson in the sixth to edge the Pacific Coast League, 2-1, before a sellout crowd of 10,000 at Coca-Cola Park.
Hometown hero Andy Tracy of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs broke up the no-hitter with a leadoff single in the fifth against Brandon Dickson of the Memphis Redbirds. The IL failed to capitalize but broke through an inning later.
Chris Valaika of the Louisville Bats started the sixth with a double to left field and Lambin doubled him home. Johnson, who entered as a defensive replacement in the top of the inning, broke the 1-1 deadlock with a single to left.
Rochester Red Wings right-hander Anthony Slama got the win after pitching a scoreless sixth and Jonathan Albaladejo of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for the save. Albaladejo shares the Minor League lead with 29 regular-season saves.
Iowa Cubs infielder Darwin Barney singled home Matt Miller of the Colorado Springs Sky Sox in the second with the PCL's lone run.
Starter Thomas Diamond of the Cubs struck out two and walked two over two hitless innings and was named the PCL's Top Star.
Josh Banks of the Round Round Express took the loss after giving up two runs on three hits in one inning.
Josh Jackson is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.


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If you've bought a car from a dealership, you've likely been in a Finance and Insurance room. Those are the rooms salespeople take you to after you've finished haggling and have settled on a price.
In that room, many dealerships offer financing for the car, as well as other products and services, including extended warranties, rustproofing and paint protection, all of which can make money for the dealer.
It's important that you be prepared before entering the F&I room, because what's discussed in there is negotiable and -- depending on the driver and the car -- sometimes unnecessary.
Before the F&I room became a dealership standard, a customer and salesperson finalized vehicle pricing on their own and the deal was done. When customers were offered extras, they typically turned them down.
With the arrival of the F&I room, dealerships were able to separate those processes and start fresh in a seemingly lower-pressure environment where a finance person took the part of finalizing paperwork while offering consumers some extras.
Interest rate and credit score
It may be tempting to go with the dealership's lender simply because it's convenient, but dealerships typically serve as middlemen, marking up interest rates to give them a share of the finance money. Always shop around to banks and credit unions and find your best rate before you set foot in a dealership.
Latest Autos
When you're securing a car loan, one of the main factors that lenders use to determine your interest rate is your credit rating. Have your credit score with you in the F&I room in case there's a discrepancy between what the dealership shows and what you have.
These days, many automakers offer low-interest rates with longer terms to stimulate sales, like zero-percent financing for 60 months. These low rates are usually a good deal -- and sometimes the best you'll be able to get from any source -- but only people with top-tier credit scores qualify.
- Special interest rates are sometimes available through dealership financing institutions that aren't advertised as national incentives. Ask the finance manager if there are any special rates available.
- Know the national average interest rate for new and used cars, which you can find on Cars.com.
- Read the fine print on websites that offer to give you your credit score for free, as some do so through a free trial, then charge you if you don't cancel your membership.
Extended warranties
Extended warranties aren't always bad, but they may not be necessary in the age of well-built cars with long-term factory warranties, and manufacturer-backed certified pre-owned cars. If you're buying a certified pre-owned car, it likely already has an extended powertrain warranty.
Many new cars have factory 100,000-mile powertrain warranties that are good for the original owner of the car. Some have offers for even longer. If you want the peace of mind that comes with extended protection sold by the dealer, though, consider the following:
- The price of an extended warranty is often negotiable.
- Extended factory warranties are preferable over private programs, mainly because you know what you're getting -- a reasonable level of coverage and support at any same-brand dealership. A third-party warranty may only be supported by the dealer who sells the warranty to you.
- Be cautious of the way dealerships present total tallies. Some may lump the extended warranty into monthly payments, which masks the overall cost; make sure you know exactly how much the warranty will cost you over the length of the loan.
- Some extended warranties have deductibles when repairs are needed. Read the fine print to know what's covered, what isn't and how much it will cost you to make a claim. Do not rush this process.
- Rustproofing, undercoating and accessories
- Paint protection is little more than wax and sealant that you can apply yourself or have done at a detail shop for less. Likewise, fabric protection is little more than Scotchguard or the equivalent.
- If applied incorrectly, undercoating can block important water drains under the car and potentially accelerate rusting.
- Accessories like mud flaps, wind deflectors and spoilers may also be offered in the F&I room. If you want these but aren't inclined to install them yourself, or don't want to hassle with a tint/accessory shop, then the dealership is a convenient place to get these kinds of accessories installed. Some more extensive accessories, like parts from Toyota's TRD performance division, may be included in a factory warranty -- but only if they're installed by a dealer.


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As a follow-up to the great new mode Annex that Epic patched in a while back, today marks the release of the second map pack for Gears of War. Entitled "Hidden Fronts," the map pack includes four brand new maps—two more than the original pack, which included "Old Bones" and "Raven Down."
Looking to invalidate my thoughts about being able to cope with only a 20GB drive, the 800 Microsoft Points ($10) map pack weighs in at a hefty 230MB . Naturally, this comes as a result of the always-gorgeous art present in Gears. All of the new maps uphold the visual quality of the originals, but looking pretty is only half of their appeal: they play pretty damn well, too. I spent some time with the maps this evening, and they all have some unique nuances.
The most interesting map, and the one most likely to elicit yells of anger from gamers, is Bullet Marsh. I say "interesting" because the map is highly convoluted and full of Kyrll that are just waiting for you to dip into the darkness. This is easily the most complex map released thus far, with plenty of winding bends and crossfire-prone hiding spots, which was made all the more obvious when attempting to play Annex. The level itself is gorgeously water-logged and features quite a few nice sniper spots for the able marksman. However, the preoccupation with staying in the light may render this map more of a novelty than a strict place for competition. I played this map more than the rest but have yet to get truly comfortable with it. It's my least favorite of the four.
To freshen up the otherwise dark maps, Garden is a frolickingly lush, green pasture of murderous intent. Just kidding, it's mostly brown. This is Gears, after all. Though it lacks the punch of the color found in a true garden, this map features quite a hefty amount of foliage, beating out "Escalation" by quite a few shrubs and trees. The map takes place inside of a Gears-style greenhouse, which is (in some places) full of poison gas that kills you. This is one of the biggest maps, and as such, it's intimidating and confusing at first. However, the outdoor haven's varied architecture proves to be both a blessing and a curse for those lucky enough to snag the level's Hammer of Dawn.
Process takes place in a huge Emulsion factory (much like the one featured around the middle of the single player campaign). Roughly the same size as "Old Bones," both sides feature a maze of corridors that lead to a huge central vat of glowing emulsion around which most of the fighting will be done. The variety of off-shoot paths leads to a surprising amount of flanking, which makes Assassination games much more interesting than the typical "camp it out" affair they tend to be.
Though you'd probably think that Subway would be similar to "Tyro Station," it's actually more similar to "Clocktower": mixing two distinct height levels and a sniper rifle for devastating effect. On the lower level, a dormant subway train lies immobile near a centralized Boomshot. On the upper level outside, a thick sheet of heavy rain clouds combat while making it all the more beautiful. One of the most solid "Execution" maps thus far and my favorite of the pack: there's very little room to hide without being found, though there are plenty of obstacles to jump out from behind with a shotgun cocked.
Overall, I'd say that the pack is a fairly competent. For about $2.50 each, the new maps are a nice way to expand the Gears experience for hardcore players. For those not playing the game feverishly, though, it may be worth waiting until the maps become free on September 3, as only "Subway" is really worth playing on in the long run.


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Ok on the suggestion of Blackroot I am doing a Risk contest. I have everything completed, but before I post I wanted to get some feedback first on the player_interface. Basically, I want to make sure there aren't any other member functions you need to be able to easily create an AI for it? Other suggestion are fine as well.
and helpers.hCode:#ifndef PLAYER_INTERACE_H #define PLAYER_INTERACE_H #include "helpers.h" #include "player.h" class PlayerInterface { friend class Player; public: //virtual methods must be overidden virtual std::string getName()const =0; // This is used by the framework to get the preferred name // for your AI player. You should return a string container the name of your player. // If you duplicate an existing name extra letters will be tacked onto your name // to make it unique. virtual void init()=0; // This method is call after all players have been added and the // players have been "shuffled" to start choosing countries. // please note that the play order changes again, after all initial // armies are place before play begin. // You can use it for whatever initialization your player needs to do that can't // be done in the constructor virtual std::string chooseCountry()=0; // This method is called when there are unclaimed countries available to claim // You should return a string containing the name of the unclaimed country you wish // claim. If you return an invalid name (spelling/case or already claimed) one will // be chosen for you at random. For comparison purposes, it's recommend you use the // country names as defined in helpers.h. There are several arrays, enums etc at your // disposable. virtual std::string placeArmy ()=0; // This function is called in 2 circumstances // 1st at the beginning after all countries have been claimed // this function is called to place your remaining armies on // countries you own // 2nd This function is called at the beginning of your turn when you have new armies // to place. // Again, you should return a string containing the name of the country you wish to place the army // One army is placed at a time. Invalid names will result in an army being randomly placed in // a country you control virtual std::vector<const Card> redeemCards()=0; // This method is called if you are in possesion of cards that can be redeemed // (Either a matched set - 3 like card, or an unmatched set - 3 unlike cards, or // 2 cards and a wild card. If you wish to redeem your set, return a std::vector<const Card> // to the framework with the 3 cards from your hand you wish to redeem. You are not // required to redeem your cards unless you have 5 or more cards. If you do not wish to redeem // just return an empty vector. // If you return an invalid set, and you hold less than 5 cards, no action will be taken. // If you hold 5 or more cards, a valid set will be chosen for you. // Also not that the order the cards are entered into the vector is important: // If the country on the card matches a country you control, you receive a bonus of 2 armies // on that country (They will be placed automatically). You can only receive 1 bonus of 2 // armies per trade-in. Therefore, if more than one of your cards have countries that // you control and you want the 2 armies to go on a particular country // put that country first into your vector. virtual Action getAction()=0; // This method gets your actions for your turn. There is no set turn length as long // as you have armies to attack with. Therefore you determine most of the time when // your turn is over by submitting the apporpriate action. (See helpers.h for actions) // Basically you complete an action struct with your action and submit it to the framework. // If you submit an invalid action, it will be treated as an end of turn without fortification. virtual int defendCountry(Action A)=0; // When your are on the defending end of an attack, you have the choice // of defending with 1 or 2 armies (1 or 2 dice) return your choice here. // If you return a number greater than 2, or if you only have 1 army in the country // and return 2 then 1 will be used. virtual int captureCountry(Action A)=0; // If you defeat all the armies in a country you must now claim that country // by moving armies into it from the attacking country // you must move minimum the same number that you attacked with and maximum 1 less // than the number of armies you have in the attacking country. // return the number you wish to move. An invalid number results in the minimum move. virtual void notify(Action A)=0; // After every action a notification is went to all of the players // showing the results. Invalid submissions will have been corrected // so that the actual results are shown here. // This is information only, use as you see fit. //non-virtual must NOT!!! be overidden std::vector<std::string> getCountriesByPlayer(std::string owner_name); // return a vector of the names of the countries controlled // by owner_name std::vector<std::string> getAdjacent(std::string country_name); // returns a vector of the names of the countries touching/adjacent to country_name // useful for deciding attacks/fortifications etc. std::string me(); // Since the framework may change your player name to guarantee uniqueness // use this function if you need to submit a function with your players name. // ex: std::vector<std::string> myCountries = getCountriesByPlayer(me()); size_t getArmyCount(std::string country_name); // returns the number of Armies in country_name std::string getOwner(std::string country_name); // returns the owner of countr_name std::vector<std::string> getPlayers(); // return a vector of the names of the player and their current order // orders is set twice, once before countries are chosen // and once before play begins private: Player* mpPlayer; // this is no concern to you and you should not try to use this, but since it's here // This is a pointer to the real player class where most of the player info is stored // The Player class also acts as a go between for the player_interface (this class) // and the main game class. It handles all the validations so the game class only // gets good inputs and doesn't have to do a lot of error checking }; #endif
Code:#ifndef HELPERS_H #define HELPERS_H #include <string> enum CARD_TYPE {INFANTRY, CAVALRY, ARTILLERY, WILD}; const std::string CONTINENTS[] = {"North America","Europe","Asia","Africa","Australia","South America"}; const std::string COUNTRY_NAMES[] = {"Alaska","Alberta","Central America","Eastern United States","Greenland","Northwest Territory","Ontario","Quebec","Western United States", "Great Britain","Iceland","Northern Europe","Scandinavia","Southern Europe","Ukraine","Western Europe", "Afghanistan","China","India","Irkutsk","Japan","Kamchatka","Middle East","Mongolia","Siam","Siberia","Ural","Yakutsk", "Congo","East Africa","Egypt","Madagascar","North Africa","South Africa", "Eastern Australia","Indonesia","New Guinea","Western Australia", "Argentina","Brazil","Peru","Venezuela"}; enum COUNTRY_INDEX { Alaska, Alberta, Central_America, Eastern_United_States, Greenland, Northwest_Territory, Ontario, Quebec, Western_United_States, Great_Britain, Iceland, Northern_Europe, Scandinavia, Southern_Europe, Ukraine, Western_Europe, Afghanistan, China, India, Irkutsk, Japan, Kamchatka, Middle_East, Mongolia, Siam, Siberia, Ural, Yakutsk, Congo, East_Africa, Egypt, Madagascar, North_Africa, South_Africa, Eastern_Australia, Indonesia, New_Guinea, Western_Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Venezuela, Wild, Bad_Index }; const COUNTRY_INDEX NORTH_AMERICA[] = {Alaska, Alberta, Central_America, Eastern_United_States, Greenland, Northwest_Territory, Ontario, Quebec, Western_United_States}; const COUNTRY_INDEX EUROPE[] = {Great_Britain, Iceland, Northern_Europe, Scandinavia, Southern_Europe, Ukraine, Western_Europe}; const COUNTRY_INDEX ASIA[] = {Afghanistan, China, India, Irkutsk, Japan, Kamchatka, Middle_East, Mongolia, Siam, Siberia, Ural, Yakutsk}; const COUNTRY_INDEX AFRICA[] = {Congo, East_Africa, Egypt, Madagascar, North_Africa, South_Africa}; const COUNTRY_INDEX AUSTRALIA[] = {Eastern_Australia, Indonesia, New_Guinea, Western_Australia}; const COUNTRY_INDEX SOUTH_AMERICA[] = {Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Venezuela}; const size_t NORTH_AMERICA_SIZE = 9; const size_t NORTH_AMERICA_AWARD = 5; const size_t EUROPE_SIZE = 7; const size_t EUROPE_AWARD = 5; const size_t ASIA_SIZE = 12; const size_t ASIA_AWARD = 7; const size_t AFRICA_SIZE = 6; const size_t AFRICA_AWARD = 3; const size_t AUSTRALIA_SIZE = 4; const size_t AUSTRALIA_AWARD = 2; const size_t SOUTH_AMERICA_SIZE = 4; const size_t SOUTH_AMERICA_AWARD = 2; const size_t COUNTRIES_SIZE = 42; struct Action { enum ACTION {ATTACK, FORTIFY, ENDTURN, CAPTURE, ADD, REMOVE, PLACEMENT};// // ATTACK - attack ToCountry from FromCountry wint n number of armers. n = Armies with value of 1, 2 or 3 // FORTIFY - move n armies from FromCountry to ToCountry and ends turn. // n = Armies with value 1 to AllInCountry-1 // ENDTURN - ends turn without fortifying position. Other values are ignored. ACTION action;// one of three above std::string FromCountry; std::string ToCountry; unsigned Armies; //1, 2 or 3 for attack, n-1 for fortify with n being number of armies // in FromCountry //RESULTS (to be filled in by framework, not player) int AttackerLosses; int DefenderLosses; bool CountryCaptured; std::string PlayerName; std::string FromPlayerName; std::string ToPlayerName; }; // struct Card { Card(CARD_TYPE t, COUNTRY_INDEX c):type(t),country(c){} bool operator==(const Card& card)const{return this->type == card.type;} bool operator!=(const Card& card)const{return !((*this) == card);} bool operator< (const Card& card)const{return (int)type < (int)card.type;} CARD_TYPE type; COUNTRY_INDEX country; }; // COUNTRY_INDEX getCountryIndex(std::string Name); //...removed for posting purposes... not relavent anyway bool isAdjacent(std::string c1, std::string c2); #endif


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The pages on this website contain images that I have either produced, contributed to, or collected in an attempt to understand the structure and function of cetacean cephalic anatomy (whale head structure). The purpose of this website is to promote understanding of structure and function, primarily using examples from the heads of whales but not exclusively. My hope is, by displaying some of these images and providing some ancillary information, that I might sow seeds of understanding cetacean cephalic form and function. Perhaps by seeing these images and reading the accompanying information your understanding of the subject matter will be attained more quickly and completely than it otherwise might have been.
This first webpage (Volume 1) contains images from sperm whales, perhaps the most enigmatic odontocete. These images also supplement the information presented in a formal article entitled: "The Sperm Whale's Nose: Sexual Selection on a Grand Scale?" This paper was published in the October 1999 issue of Marine Mammal Science. If you want more detailed information about the anatomy in the nose of the sperm whale (and some plausible explanations of its function), go to your nearest university library and read this paper or the references therein.
Subsequent webpages (Volumes) appearing on this website will contain images that convey information about other marine mammals, including toothed whales (odontocetes) and baleen whales (mysticetes), and some non-cetacean marine mammals. I will also periodically post photographs of individuals that have some historic significance to the field of marine mammalogy. Most of the images are initially displayed as low-resolution thumbnails (so they will display more quickly) but most will contain links to higher resolution images that you may examine (just click on the image).
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